MOSCOW, November 14 (Sputnik) — Iraqi troops successfully accomplished their military operation against Islamic State fighters in the oil-rich city Baiji on Friday.
Iraqi forces have established security and stability in Baiji, around 130 miles north of Baghdad, after Islamic State militants were forced out of the city on November 11 following more than two weeks of fighting, Press TV reported.
Baiji is a city of strategic importance, as one of the largest oil refineries in the country is located there.
The Islamic State is a Sunni jihadi group that has been fighting the Syrian government since 2012. In June 2014, it launched an offensive in Iraq, seizing vast areas in both countries, including Baiji in Iraq, and announcing the establishment of an Islamic caliphate on the territories under its control.
In September US President Barack Obama announced his decision to form an international anti-IS coalition. A US-led coalition is currently carrying out airstrikes against Islamic State positions in Syria and Iraq.
